kind-of.

By Bernie Bell.

It’s a while since we’ve been to Birsay.  We’ve walked along the Bay

….but during the summer months, we avoid the main car park for the Brough.

It was a beautiful sunny Autumn day, so we decided to walk along to where the whalebone used to be.

At the car park, there’s a new information board with a plan of a round-trip which takes in the main sights/attractions of Birsay, which will be useful for visitors

Information board at the Brough of Birsay

We’re old hands who know our way, which included encountering Peppa Pig in a niche in the wall of one of the fisherman’s huts at Skipi Geo

painted stone of Peppa Pig set within a stone wall

The bright, clear sunshine picked out the near-by nousts wonderfully

boat shaped nousts in the grass bank

Further along, it looks like a couple of creels have been stranded on the rock-face. We couldn’t think how else they came to be there

creels stranded half way up the cliff face

If so, this shows how high the sea can come in a storm.

Arriving at the point where the whalebone used to be, a notice has been placed telling of plans to replace the original bone with a replica

information about the Birsay whalebone

This also includes details of a call-out for stories and memories of folk’s connection with and experiences of the whalebone

contact details and other information about sharing stories of the whalebone

I don’t know if the stories are still being sought for, but I think a compilation of them would make a very interesting record for the individuals involved, and for posterity.

Looking across to the Brough

looking from the shore to the tidal island of the Brough of Birsay

As we turned, the light caught the water in an inlet

Birsay is a place where light on water can play tricks….


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